Get excited about reading again with fun and interesting tips from our experts, including The M.D., our dietitians, and our fitness expert. In our health library, you will find all of the information you need to achieve your goals of making a healthy lifestyle change. So, start reading and start losing!

From the effects of the hormone cortisol to the role of genetics in weight loss, this category is packed with everything that you need to know about losing weight the healthy way.

Fasting to Lose Weight Won’t Give you Results

There are many benefits to weight loss. It decreases your risk for certain diseases, gives you more self-confidence and you’ll feel increased energy levels.

However with many different weight loss programs and theories, losing weight can be difficult, confusing, and hazardous for your health. The recent fad diet of fasting to lose weight is unhealthy and an unsustainable way to lose weight.

The dangers of fasting to lose weight

When we think of fasting, we often think of really extreme situations that we’ve read about in history books or religious texts; but, there are many people who have bought into the recent trend to lose weight.

Fasting means limiting your caloric intake below recommended levels for an extended period of time, and for many people, fasting can mean avoiding food for days at a time or only eating a few hundred calories a day.

Since your body needs energy to perform functions such as breathing, walking, and thinking, you need to eat. When you do not eat, the calories your body needs to function, it turns to other sources for energy. Over time your body can turn to muscles, organs and bones for sources of energy. If you practice unhealthy eating habits for a long time, your body will start to lose shape and your health will begin to deteriorate.

Also, when you fast for an extended period of time, your metabolism and how your body stores energy, will change. Your metabolism will burn fewer calories to perform basic functions and your body will try to store as much fat as possible from the food you do eat. Basically, you’re not going to burn as many calories as you should be burning—and you’ll gain weight.

Fasting to lose weight is also unsustainable. Even if you lose twenty pounds by not eating, once you start eating again, you are likely to gain most or all of your weight back. Not only is this dangerous but it can also be frustrating and overwhelming.

Alternatives to fasting to lose weight

Fasting to lose weight is not the only solution to dropping those pounds. There are hundreds of weight loss programs that are less dangerous than fasting to lose weight.

Your different weight loss programs

High protein, low carb diets. This type of diet focuses on adequate protein intake for all meals and snacks. Additionally, foods high in carbohydrates such as breads, pastas, and desserts are limited. Having adequate protein in your diet prevents muscle loss and encourages fat loss.

Low fat diets. Low fat diets focus on limiting your intake of fatty foods such as butter, oil and nuts. These high calorie high fat foods can lead to quick weight gain; therefore, removing them from the diet leads to weight loss.

The caveman diet. Although this diet is not as popular as the above diets, it works by removing grains, dairy and refined sugar from your diet. People following this diet can eat meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and oils. By removing most processed foods and replacing them with low calorie, nutritious alternatives, you can lose weight quickly.

Instead of fasting to lose weight and putting your health and wellness at risk, try an alternative diet and enjoy the weight loss journey instead of suffering through it.

BistroMD

Not having the time to shop for healthy ingredients, select healthy recipes and cook healthy meals can be frustrating.

So, if you’re looking for something fast and convenient without the hassle of going to the grocery store, bistroMD offers a diet delivery program that can help you successfully lose weight. We cook with the freshest ingredients and have over 200 recipes and a customizable menu so you should have no problem finding something to satisfy your taste buds.

Every bite you take follows this proven approach for healthy weight loss. Our program provides 1,100-1,400 calories daily with 40-50% total caloric intake from lean, adequate protein, 20-25% of calories from healthy fats, and 30-35% from complex carbohydrates.

The best part is that it only takes a few weeks to start seeing results. You don’t have anything to lose, but the fat!

We have amen and a women’s program with the option to receive five-or-seven-days’ worth of healthy meals delivered to your door. The seven day option comes with the My Night feature, your one night a week to kick back, relax with friends and eat whatever you want.

The two programs range from $130-$160 and EATS, our essential and tasty snacks are just $1.50 per snack. Women receive two snacks per day and men receive three snacks per day.

Simply answer a few questions so we can figure out your weight loss goals and provide solutions for a lighter, healthier you. Our weight loss meal plans are designed to help real people achieve real and lasting success.